Lassos and lariats are well known among cattlemen as tools for roping animals. Such devices are generally quite simple consisting of a single rope having a hondo or loop at one end with the rope threaded therethrough creating a noose arrangement. In using the lariat, the looped portion is spun around. Great skill is required to use the lariat in that one must continuously rotate the rope within one's hand by rapid manipulation of the fingers while the lariat is spinning in order to prevent the rope from twisting up. To reduce the difficulty of spinning a lariat so that children may become proficient in a short time, a swivel has been introduced into toy lariats which eliminates the need to rotate the rope. As a toy, the lariat has also been modified to eliminate the noose so as not to strangle anyone by its use. The introduction of means to fix the circumference of the loop has created technical problems with the operation of the toy. The problem arises due to a loss of balance in the loop. U.S. Pat. No. 1,953,565 issued to O'Niel has attempted to solve this problem of balance by locating a plurality of knots spaced around the circumference of the loop to give it a more even weight distribution. This solution, unfortunately, detracts somewhat from the appearance of the toy which is intended to be a replica of a working lasso.
A related problem encountered in prior art trick ropes and lariats has been the inability to spin at high velocity while maintaining proper balance. Even if the loop itself is well balanced, the flexibility of the stem (or rope connecting the loop to the handle) will influence the maximum rate at which the loop may be spun. This problem has not been overcome by prior art.
The present invention provides a safe, inexpensive and high performance trick rope toy which can be operated at high velocity without becoming unstable.